Did the Top-Ranked Girl Get Exposed Today? [HoloVerse] - Chapter 11

Danhuang Liuxinbao stretched her arms and greeted the group, “Ready? I’m starting.”

[Party Chat]
[Healer’s Realm] Xian Yun Alt: OK OK.
[Celestial Feather] Wang Mo Alt: Go ahead.
[Sword Dream] Top Fan of Shang Xianyue: Already lying down, carry me please.
[Flower Guardian] Xiaoxiao Yue: Already lying down, carry me please.

Feng Xiaoxiao hadn’t expected that for a level 25 dungeon, Emperor’s Homeland would bring in all the core members of her guild.

Not having to exert herself, she was naturally happy to take it easy, though she couldn’t help but marvel at how dedicated this person was to their disciple.

As everyone confirmed they were ready, the ancient stone door before them slowly creaked open, and a mournful, desolate song echoed in the silence.

[System Prompt: This was once an ancient battlefield, where the rumored proud and noble princess lies in eternal rest. Be careful, do not let the light in your hands disturb the princess’s slumber.]

As the system narration ended, Danhuang Liuxinbao, as the party leader, held up a bright lantern, instantly illuminating the surroundings within two meters.

[System Prompt: You have entered the level 25 breakthrough dungeon, “Flower Sea Hide and Seek”!]

Danhuang Liuxinbao took the lead, commanding methodically.

[Party Chat]
[Guardian Light] Danhuang Liuxinbao Alt: Stay close to me, don’t leave the light’s range. There are three stages in total. First, we’ll walk a dark path. At forks, treasure chests with rare equipment will tempt you. Walk straight the entire way, don’t go down any side paths.

Top Fan of Shang Xianyue was a newbie and had only just reached level 25. Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, “What happens if we don’t walk straight or leave the light?”

“You die.”

Xian Yun answered lazily, glancing left and right as she walked. Ahead of her, Wang Mo was clearing mobs with his feather bow.

Dark purple butterflies occasionally fluttered out from the dim path, only to be pinned down by Wang Mo’s arrows the moment they appeared.

Feng Xiaoxiao’s silk ribbons twirled around her wrists, occasionally flying out to precisely finish off the mobs for Wang Mo. The two cooperated seamlessly as Danhuang Liuxinbao led the way with the lantern.

Stuck in the middle, Wang Mo and Top Fan of Shang Xianyue had the least to do, listening attentively to Danhuang Liuxinbao’s instructions in the party chat.

[Party Chat]
[Guardian Light] Danhuang Liuxinbao Alt: For this section, just resist the temptation and don’t get drawn away, it’s easy. The second stage isn’t hard either. At the end of the path, three waves of guards will appear. Defeat them and step into the flower sea, that’s the final stage.

Since there were two newbies in the party, Danhuang Liuxinbao explained in detail.

[Guardian Light] Danhuang Liuxinbao Alt: I’ll draw the guards’ aggro. You all focus fire from behind me. Xian Yun, keep an eye on healing and stabilize my health.

[Guardian Light] Danhuang Liuxinbao Alt: After defeating the guards, this place will plunge into complete darkness. Walk forward 1,000 meters, and beside the stone coffin in the center of the flower sea is the boss, Shadow Blossom Maiden.

[Guardian Light] Danhuang Liuxinbao Alt: Two key points: First, the lantern in my hand must not go out. When Shadow Blossom Maiden’s health drops to two-thirds, guiding butterflies will appear on the field. Three people need to go collect fuel.

[Guardian Light] Danhuang Liuxinbao Alt: If nothing goes wrong, Xian Yun and I will stay to draw the boss’s aggro. The three of you go light the lamps.

[Guardian Light] Danhuang Liuxinbao Alt: @Wang Mo Alt. @Xiaoxiao Yue. @Top Fan of Shang Xianyue.

Everyone in the party typed “1” to confirm they understood.

[Guardian Light] Danhuang Liuxinbao_Alt: Second, after the butterfly appears twice, the boss will have about one-third of its HP left. That’s when it enrages. Xian Yun, focus on healing, I absolutely cannot die.

As the party spoke, they reached the end of the path, where several stone statue guards stood quietly. As the group approached, the guards gradually awakened under the glow of Danhuang Liuxinbao’s lantern.

Dust cascaded down as the guards, gripping spears, broke free from the dark green vines entwined around them.

Amid the clatter of metal, the guards turned their necks, opening crimson eyes to fixate slowly on Danhuang Liuxinbao holding the lantern.

[Flower Guardian]: Do not disturb the princess’s slumber!

“Here they come!”

Danhuang Liuxinbao held the lantern in one hand and clenched her other hand in the air, summoning a long spear adorned with a red silk tassel.

With a sweeping strike, she repelled the first wave of charging guards, successfully drawing their aggro onto herself.

Wang Mo_Alt, with a system-default character face, drew her feathered bow and fired multiple arrows at once, seven out of ten arrows found their mark.

Xian Yun_Alt, who was healing while scattering petals, couldn’t help but whistle. “Impressive, Momo! Even without gear, your accuracy is this high on an alt?”

“Shut up and focus on healing your tank.”

Without looking back, she fired a precise arrow at a butterfly monster drawn by the light near Xian Yun.

Top Fan of Shang Xianyue swung her beginner’s longsword, dealing a few hundred damage per strike against the guards ahead. After working hard for a while, she glanced up at the party damage display and nearly choked on her own blood.

[System Alert: Your teammate [Wang Mo Alt] dealt 2568 damage to the guard! Your teammate [Wang Mo_Alt] dealt 1215 damage to the Butterfly Demon…]

[System Alert: Your teammate [Danhuang Liuxinbao Alt] has attracted 80% of the guards’ aggro!]

[System Alert: Your teammate [Xian Yun_Alt] provided 100% of the healing!]

[System Alert: Your teammate [Xiaoxiao Yue] dealt 3568 damage to the guard! Your teammate [Xiaoxiao Yue] dealt 1141 damage to the guard…]

Top Fan of Shang Xianyue: “……”

She knew the others in the party were veterans playing on alts, but what was up with this flower-protecting newbie landing critical hits with every move?!

Do Flower Guardians really have such high crit rates???

Top Fan of Shang Xianyue screamed internally like a groundhog!

Danhuang Liuxinbao tanked the damage steadily, not allowing a single guard to break through her defense and reach the backline DPS and support.

Feng Xiaoxiao and Wang Mo dealt damage comfortably from the rear, defeating three waves of guards in under ten minutes.

After the guards retreated and reverted to stone statues, the party moved past them and continued forward. The deeper they went, the thicker the darkness became, with the only light coming from Danhuang Liuxinbao’s lantern.

The lantern’s illuminated area shrank. Curious, Feng Xiaoxiao reached a hand into the darkness, only for a skeletal arm to instantly interlock fingers with hers, pulling her fiercely into the shadows.

With her free hand, Feng Xiaoxiao punched the skeleton to pieces.

[System Alert: You dealt 2412 damage to ???!]

Another critical hit. Flower Guardians really do have high crit rates.

Satisfied, Feng Xiaoxiao shook off the bone fragments and hurried to catch up with the party.

Xian Yun, who witnessed the flower guardian “newbie” shatter a skeleton with one punch: “…”

Wang Mo, who was about to step in and help: “…”

Are newbies these days really this terrifying?

Xian Yun couldn’t help but question her life choices. When she first cleared this dungeon, the occasional minor monsters popping out of the darkness had scared her half to death.

On the branching paths of the first level, traces of her repeated revivals were everywhere. If it weren’t for later meeting the Wang Mo, who carried her through the dungeon…

Just thinking about it brought tears of bitterness to her eyes.

She tugged at the sleeve of the Wang Mo, who was using the system’s default character appearance, and wiped her nonexistent tears.

[Private Chat]

[Little Alt of Loved by All, Adored by Flowers] Little Alt of Xian Yun: Whimpering.jpg

[Little Alt of Cold-Faced Little Ice Berg] Little Alt of Wang Mo: ?

Feng Xiaoxiao suddenly asked Top Fan of Shang Xianyue curiously, “Fan girl, are you afraid of ghosts?”

“Huh?” Top Fan of Shang Xianyue was already terrified by the eerie background music, hugging her tiny self tightly. Tearfully, she gently tugged at the white-powdered silk ribbon on Feng Xiaoxiao’s hand. “I’m scared!”

As Top Fan of Shang Xianyue emphatically declared “I’m scared,” the mist ahead dissipated, and a tall, slender figure emerged from the darkness.

The impenetrable darkness served as her skirt, with black-purple flowers clinging to her like barnacles covering half her body.

She stood nearly two meters tall, her eyes deep within the flower stamens veiled by a “silk ribbon” woven from mist. Only occasionally did her eyeballs shift, lifting the thin mist like insects writhing beneath the soil.

Her long arms cradled an extinguished lantern, and her human-like face seemed to melt like a dripping candle.

[System Notification: You have entered the final stage of “Flower Sea Hide and Seek”! Defeat the guardian boss, the Ghostly Flower Maiden, and obtain the final treasure of the Flower Sea!]

[Flower Sea Hide and Seek · Ghostly Flower Maiden]
Level: 65 (???)
Skills: Drain (???), Deprive (???)
Health: Unknown
Defeat Rewards: Large amount of level-up experience, Level 25 breakthrough jade, Star Pavilion Key, various Level 40 to 70 purple equipment, accessory “Glowworm Lantern,” special title “When the Lantern Fades”!…

The moment she saw the boss, Danhuang Liuxinbao couldn’t help but click her tongue. “This isn’t right, is it?”

Xian Yun also turned to ask the Wang Mo, “When we came here last time, were the rewards this generous, and was the boss level this high??”

The Wang Mo calmly flipped through her photo album, her main and alt accounts shared the same in-game album, and scrolled until her gaze landed on a photo of Xian Yun, taken when she was still a newbie, giving a victory sign in front of the defeated Ghostly Flower Maiden.

Ignoring Xian Yun’s smug expression in the photo, the Ghostly Flower Maiden boss displayed was only Level 35, which was the appropriate difficulty for this dungeon.

Not like now, where the dungeon forbids players above Level 45 from entering, yet the final boss is the Ghostly Flower Maiden, a full twenty levels higher than their current levels!

“This is a bit tricky,” Danhuang Liuxinbao frowned. “Did someone trigger the hidden quest here again?”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Feng Xiaoxiao, who was staring blankly at the Ghostly Flower Maiden.

Feng Xiaoxiao: ?
She asked in confusion, “Why are you looking at me?”

Xian Yun couldn’t help but sigh. “I think I remember now, it’s all your master’s doing!”

Even the usually stoic Wang Mo couldn’t help but facepalm. “Now that you mention it, I think I recall something. Was it when Imperial Homeland used a level-suppression item to bring guild members along and opened that princess’s stone coffin?”

Danhuang Liuxinbao took a small egg yolk bun from her backpack and held it melancholically between her teeth, her words slightly muffled.

“That big idiot said something about there possibly being a hidden quest and went ahead to open the princess’s stone coffin, only to find it empty!”

“And then they received the hidden quest from the Star Pavilion to find the princess’s remains…”

The group couldn’t help but glance behind the Ghost Flower Maiden. Sure enough, the stone coffin, which should have been tightly sealed, now had its lid mysteriously missing, and the interior was completely empty.

According to the game’s lore, the Ghost Flower Maiden was the princess’s personal maid in life, utterly loyal to her. Even after descending into her current half-human, half-ghost state, she remained dedicated to guarding the princess’s eternal peace.

Now that the princess’s coffin had been opened, the Ghost Flower Maiden discovered that the tomb she had protected for so many years didn’t even contain the princess!

It would be strange if she weren’t enraged.

No wonder her level and strength had skyrocketed, reaching the maximum limit the dungeon could accommodate.

The group and the Ghost Flower Maiden, standing dozens of meters away, stared at each other. They were still a safe distance from triggering her attack, so they simply sat cross-legged to discuss their next move.

“What do we do now?”

This came from the clueless and innocent newbie, the Top Fan of Shang Xianyue.

“Should we find the princess’s remains and put them back?”

Xian Yu stroked her chin but immediately dismissed the idea.

“That won’t work. The quest clue from Di Xiang suggests the princess’s remains might be on the ninth floor of the Star Pavilion, but to access the ninth floor, you need a master-disciple team. The disciple she found hasn’t reached the level required for apprenticeship yet, and to reach that level, we have to defeat this Ghost Flower Maiden first…”

After analyzing the situation, they concluded they had no choice but to grit their teeth and defeat the Ghost Flower Maiden before them.

As for retrieving the princess’s remains and restoring the dungeon to its normal difficulty, that would have to wait until Feng Xiaoxiao and Di Xiang successfully completed their apprenticeship and cleared the Star Pavilion.